Title

'Penji' memorial grave marker

Artists

Unknown Artist

About

East Sumbanese tombs consist of a horizontal dolmen structure ('reti') and vertical grave markers ('penji'). The sculptural motifs on a 'penji' commemorate the life and achievements of the deceased. On the side of this sculpture is a weaver at her loom and a hunting scene. A snake and the potent mamuli design appear on the front. Mamuli are ritual objects invested with the capacity to mediate between the human world and realm of ancestral spirits. Invoking the form of the female generative organ, the motif is a powerful fertility symbol. A powerful crocodile crowns the penji stone.